


Little Blue Bird

by awildqueen



Category: Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
Genre: Animal Metaphors, Birds, Other, animal hurt, brother moments, not romantic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 17:37:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15756540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awildqueen/pseuds/awildqueen
Summary: Maven and Cal are trying to find something to do on a snowy day. The castle is too quiet and boring. Outside the snow is everywhere, but they have each other and this somehow makes everything always better.





	Little Blue Bird

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: Maven is 11 years old and Cal is 13.

I hide behind a big tree. No way he is going to find me in here. I try not to think about the fact that the snow is all around my feet and that it’s starting to feel numb because of the coldness. But I wouldn’t be freezing if Cal was a better seeker. I always win in hide and seek because my brother is too slow and I’m too good in hiding.

This morning, things were too quiet in the castle. My mom is organizing an important ball, with the silver ladies from the high houses all around her. I tried my best to escape from them and stay away from their sight. I went to Cal’s bedroom and he was still sleeping, but I changed that in some seconds. Ran towards his bed and jumped in him. He woke up with a smile and ready to listen to me, like he always does when I wake him up. We decided to play outside even if it was snowing and that made me happy. I love having Cal with me so in that way I’m not always alone. Although I like our classes, sometimes people forget we are too young. When we are together we can be children and this feels like home.

Being outside, behind a tree and almost freezing completely is nothing compared to watching Cal walking around the castle garden, looking for me. His hair is almost white with all the snow in it and he tries to focus his eyes in the trees.

“Trees?!”, I think to myself, but I’m not fast enough and Cal is already running towards me and my perfect hiding tree. I try to run and escape from him, but he is too fast and in a few seconds he catches me.

“Okay, maybe you are not the best one in hide and seek after all”, he says while laughing. “You should see your face. You were desperate.”

I stick my tongue out at him.

“I wasn’t desperate”, I say while walking away. “I was just thinking that you look like a monster covered in snow. A goofball monster.”

“Oh of course…”, he says in a sarcastic tone. He looks funny with all these snow around him. “So you were scared of a snow monster.”

I look to him and can’t stop myself from laughing too. Whenever we decide to play outside when it’s snowing, we make a pact and promise that we won’t use our power to melt the snow or even get warm. This always make us laugh. Everything seems funny between us. I like that feeling and that it’s just ours.

“Anyway…”, I say going towards the castle doors. “I’m counting now and you go find somewhere to hide. But please, try your best because I’m gonna find you and I don’t want you to be sad for not trying enough.”

He looks at me, pretending he is hurted.

“By my colors, when my brother became this cold and ambitious person?”, he says in a provocative tone.

I roll my eyes.

“Just go and hide, you idiot”, I say while smiling.

He laughs and then walks away, getting out of my sight.

I know that I’ll find him too fast. It’s always like that. Cal is horrible at hiding and then I can’t stop laughing when I find him because he is always making too much noise or hiding in a weird position. It’s funny how, during training, Cal is one of the best hiders, but when it comes about hide and seek with me, he is awful. Or maybe I’m just too good in finding him.

I was always able to find Cal easily, wherever he was and whenever I needed. I would run to him when I was scared of something, search for him whenever I got hurt and all of those times, I would find him easily even living in a huge castle. Maybe I’m just used to feel him. Maybe he is like a lighthouse that I read about in a book, with a light that always draws me to safety. To him.

I finish counting and start looking for him. I walk around the garden, watching all the snow on the trees and feeling the cold breeze in my skin. I like winter because everything seems brighter and calm, but at the same time a snowball battle can suddenly start and you can have the most fun time of your life.

I look behind the trees and bushes, but no sight of him. I hear a different noise coming from somewhere behind the water fountain in the middle of the garden. I slowly walk towards that point and when I’m ready to scream and scare Cal, I hear the noise again. It doesn’t sound human so I stop and observe it calmly. In the ground, I find a small blue bird, laying and making sad noises. It’s like its crying. I come close to the bird and see that it’s hurted and its wings are in a weird position. I can’t help but want to hold it but I contain myself. “What if I hurt it more?” The little bird looks at me and it’s almost like it’s trying to say something.

“Hey, little one”, I say gently, almost whispering. “You don’t look okay. Do you need any help?”

The bird keeps looking at me and its chirp becomes lower. I suddenly feels its pain, like I am the one hurted.

“I want to help you”, I kneel close to it and try to move as slow as I can. “I don’t want to scare you or hurt you more, so I’m going to try to hold you as gently as I can, okay?”

Calmly I put my hands below its little body and try to lift it off the floor. I almost don’t breathe since I’m too worried about that little being. I’m able to hold it still and it doesn’t cry or scream so I think I’m doing a good job. I observe the bird for quite some minutes and it keeps staring me. Suddenly I just know that it’s a female bird. I don’t know how since I know almost nothing about birds, but I just feel like it’s a she. Her eyes seem smart and melancholy. She is so small and fragile, but at the same time her crying was so powerful and sad. I don’t know exactly why, but I feel the urge to protect this bird with all of my life.

“So do you want to be my new friend?”, I can’t stop myself from smiling. “I can take care of you until you feel better.”

She looks at me and her chirp sounds happier. I don’t know if I’m imagining that, but I just have the feeling that she is relieved.

I get up and start walking towards the castle, when I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and see Cal. “Damn it! I forgot we were playing hide and seek.” I wonder if he really became the Goofball Snow Monster, surrounded by snow. But looking at him, I notice he is just confused.

“Maven, are you okay? Are we gonna stop playing?”, his eyes meet the little bird in my hands and he raises an eyebrow. “Who is that?”

I smile and bring my hands closer to my heart.

“She is a new friend. My new friend.” I look at the bird and she is looking at me, “She is hurt and I’m gonna take care of her.”

Cal gets closer and examine the small being. He doesn’t seem happy with what he sees.

“Maven, it looks like its really hurted”, he seems concerned. “You know that everything can happen, right? And I don’t want you to feel bad if…”

“If she dies?”, I ask, looking at him. “I’m not stupid, Cal. I know she is in danger and pretty hurt, but I’m going to help her as much as I can.”

“Oh I’m not saying you shouldn’t help her”, he smiles and looks at her. He cuddles her with one of his fingers. “But she is a bird, right? They are meant to fly.”

I look at her and I can’t stop myself from feeling a little bit sad thinking about the day she will leave me. But I would never stop her from going. Actually I wish I could just fly away with her.

“I know that”, my voice cracks. “I won’t stop her from flying as much as she wants when she gets better and if she decides she doesn’t want to stay, then it’s okay. I also wouldn’t choose to live in this castle, so I get her.”

Cal looks at me with sad eyes. He knows how I feel about living in the castle. Since we are born, silvers are alone. Always alone in our minds and hearts. That’s what my mom taught me and she is right. Even when we are surrounded by people we never truly stop feeling alone. It’s like having our powers and being stronger means we lose something inside ourselves.

“Anyway,” I say, walking towards the castle, “Beatrice will be a great company for now.”

“Beatrice?”, Cal looks at me, smiling.

I look at her and she looks happy. Her little head fits perfectly in one side of my hand.

“Yeah, her name is Beatrice”, my voice sounds confident. “And she is a survivor, Cal.”

My brothers continue looking at me and he seems proud. His smile makes me feel good and even more confident.

“She almost died, but she found strength to scream and call for help. She was in so much pain, but she fought and lived enough for me to find her and take care of her”, my heart feels warm while saying these words. “She survived, Cal. And I want to be like her.”

Cal nods his head, agreeing with me. He puts one of his arms around me and I put my hands and Beatrice closer to my body. We enter in the castle and we don’t stop smiling for one second.


End file.
